Sporting CP coach Amorim renews until 2026 following Premier League links

By Sports Desk November 29, 2022

Ruben Amorim has renewed his contract as Sporting CP head coach until 2026, the club announced on Tuesday.

Amorim, 37, had been linked with Premier League clubs Chelsea and Aston Villa earlier this season but no move ever materialised.

The former Portugal international moved to Sporting in 2020 after a positive spell with Braga and went on to guide the club to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years in 2021.

Last season they finished as runners-up in Portugal's top tier, though after 13 games of the 2022-23 campaign they find themselves fourth and 12 points adrift of bitter rivals Benfica at the summit.

They also finished third in their Champions League group, subsequently dropping into the Europa League.

Nevertheless, Sporting remain committed to stability, convinced in Amorim they have one of the world's premier coaches.

"This renovation demonstrates a lot how Sporting CP works today: with discretion, efficiency and direction," president Frederico Varandas said.

"It is also a very strong sign of how today Sporting CP is a strong and stable club, with stability being the basis of all success.

"A contract of this length always obliges the people who sign it to see themselves 100 per cent in the sporting project and that there is extreme trust between both parties.

"As president of Sporting CP, I can only be very happy that we have a contract until 2026 with one of the best coaches in the world and that we will continue to make Sporting CP grow."

Related items

  • Greece 0-3 England: Stunning Jones debut goal helps Three Lions go top Greece 0-3 England: Stunning Jones debut goal helps Three Lions go top

    Curtis Jones’ brilliant backheel on his debut helped England win 3-0 against Greece to move top of Group B2 in the Nations League.

    Lee Carsley’s men exacted revenge in Athens having been defeated 2-1 by Greece at Wembley. The result sees England overtake their opponents on goal difference with 12 points each.

    England got off the mark quickly as Noni Madueke burst down the right wing, beating four players to the byline, before cutting back for Ollie Watkins to slot home from close range in the seventh minute.

    Jordan Pickford was called into action to keep the scores level, first tipping over Kostas Tsimikas’ stinging shot before denying Fotis Ioannidis' effort from range after the break.

    While Jude Bellingham hit the left post with a header from a corner not long into the second half, England would have to wait until the 77th minute to celebrate their second.

    Bellingham was the instigator once more as he latched on to a first-time pass from debutant Morgan Rogers to charge in from the left and drive a low shot onto the left post.

    The ball rebounded onto the trailing leg of the diving Odysseas Vlachodimos, who could not scramble back in time to prevent an own goal.

    Jones completed the rout six minutes later as he latched onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross from the right to send an audacious backheel past Vlachodimos.

    Data Debrief: Debut delight for Jones

    Jones is the first Liverpool player to score on his England debut since Sammy Lee back in November 1982, also in an away game against Greece.

    He is the ninth Jones to play for England, after Alf, Bill, Harry, Herbert, Mick, Phil, Rob and William. The only surname to provide more England players is Smith (20).

    There were also debuts for Lewis Hall and Morgan Rogers. The latter became the 63rd player to make their England debut while with Aston Villa. It’s the first time they've had two in the same year (Ezri Konsa and Rogers) since 2007 (Scott Carson and Ashley Young).

    At 20 years and 67 days, Hall became the youngest Newcastle United player to appear for England in a competitive international since Jock Rutherford in April 1904 against Scotland in a Home Nations match (19 years and 180 days).

  • Belgium 0-1 Italy: Azzurri advance to Nations League quarter-finals Belgium 0-1 Italy: Azzurri advance to Nations League quarter-finals

    Italy sealed their place in the Nations League quarter-finals and ended Belgium's hopes of advancing with a 1-0 victory in Brussels, courtesy of Sandro Tonali's goal.

    Tonali – who recently returned to action after serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules – scored his first senior international goal in the 11th minute.

    He fired home after Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cutback deflected off Zeno Debast and fell kindly into his path at close range. 

    Luciano Spalletti's visitors continued to enjoy the better of the play in the first half, with Nicolo Rovella going close when he fired high and wide in the 25th minute.

    Mateo Retegui was denied by Koen Casteels when one-on-one after half-time, while Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action at the other end by Debast and Lois Openda.

    Belgium's best chance for an equaliser fell to defender Wout Faes seven minutes from time, but he headed against the post when left unmarked in the centre of the box, leaving the Red Devils locked in a battle with Israel to avoid finishing bottom of Group A2.

    Data Debrief: Azzurri flying on the road

    Italy have now won three competitive away matches in a row within the same season, beating France, Israel and Belgium.

    They last achieved that feat between June and November 2019, winning five in a row in qualifying for Euro 2020.

  • Haaland and Gyokeres 'not a priority' for Barcelona, says Deco Haaland and Gyokeres 'not a priority' for Barcelona, says Deco

    Barcelona sporting director Deco has said that a striker is “not a priority” for the club despite recent links to Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyokeres.

    Deco affirmed the club’s faith in current number nine Robert Lewandowski, who is in form with 14 goals and two assists after 13 games in LaLiga this season.

    Gyokeres, by comparison, has 16 goals and one assist in the Primeira Liga while, despite a dip in form, Erling Haaland has 12 goals in the Premier League this season.

    Barcelona, however, are “happy” with Lewandowski and hope he will lead the line in the Catalonian capital for another season at least.

    "First we have to know whether Haaland is what we want for the future. We don't know that now,” Deco told El Mundo Deportivo.

    "At the moment we don't want any 'nine.' We have Robert. We are not planning anything with any 'nine.' It's not a priority because we have to focus on this season."

    Lewandowski leads the Barcelona squad for shots (38) and shots on target (26) in the league, indicating the 36-year-old is still maintaining pace at the top level.

    He leads the league for goals with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior coming closest to matching his tally, trailing by six goals.

    "I think it's very difficult to find a striker like Robert nowadays. There are one or two of this level. Maybe Haaland or another one. There are not so many of this level available,” explained Deco.

    "But we are not going to get hung up on finding any striker now because we are going to focus first on what Robert can do. I surely think he is happy to be here. He is a winner and if we have a big season I think he will want to stay.

    "We want Robert to continue to be happy, to score goals and to stay at least one more season."

    While the Pole is without a goal in two games, Barcelona’s rumoured target Gyokeres has not faltered.

    The Swede caught global attention in Sporting CP’s recent Champions League clash with Manchester City, producing a hat-trick to help his team to a shock 4-1 win.

    He accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 2.41 in the match, accounting for most of Sporting's overall 2.87xG.

    "Gyokeres is a good player. He has been scoring goals for some time in Portugal. We know him as we know others, but it's not a priority for us right now,” said Deco.

    "When the time comes to make a decision and I have to make it because I am the one at the club, we will consider the options. But I don't think it's the right time to talk about any player."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.